Street Fighter Zanza
by panneler-san
Summary: You wait for hours for him to come back. He doesn't.
1. Realization

A/N: A pairing that came into my head once and hasn't left since. So, a series of connected drabbles to fill the gap.

Realization

You realize, quite suddenly, like a bucket of cold water has been thrown on you, that you do not love Kenshin.

Strange, you think – you haven't seen the man in a week, and you've barely thought about him for the past two. You've both been so busy, rebuilding the dojo, helping out in the town, hauling lumber, teaching classes, making rice, doing laundry…

But you don't love him.

And the realization came completely out of nowhere.

"Oh," you whisper as the needle you've been using to mend Yahiko's trousers presses sharply past your skin. You watch in fascination (is it because of the startling nature of your discovery?) as a tiny red bead of your blood appears from the tip of your finger. You watch it grow slightly larger, tremble with weight, and finally roll down your hand toward your knuckles.

You don't love Kenshin.

You come to your senses and move the finger to your mouth, tasting iron while you stumble toward the kitchen to find a bandage, Yahiko's _hakama_ forgotten on the _tatami_. As you sweep past the open doors, the scent of spring hits you full on, and you inhale the rain, lavender, and grass deeply. From the dojo, you hear the _swish _of your student's practice sword as he swings it for the umpteenth time that morning.

Yahiko hasn't changed, you realize, and You don't love Kenshin.

You haven't decided if this makes you sad. You shake your head and enter the kitchen, where you find Sano.

He rises his hand and smiles at you widely, half-eaten rice ball clutched in his hand. "Yo, Missy," he calls.

You give him a disapproving stare and snap, "Haven't you just eaten breakfast?"

He shrugs and his eyes move to your hand, dangling by your side, which has started to bleed again. "I'm a growing man," he explains as you shake your head and find the medicine chest. "I'm hungry all the time."

"You remind me of an old man," you scoff, and wince as your injured finger smarts when you try to use it to unwrap a bandage.

A shadow appears behind you, and you feel the warmth of Sano's chest hovering centimeters from your back. Even through your kimono you can feel him there. You stiffen and his arms wrap around you, heavily bandaged hands taking the supplies from you.

You watch in fascination as Sano, who is more hurt than anyone you know, not even blinking an eye as he takes your finger gently in his hands and wraps the soft, clean linen around it, cutting it to size and fastening it with a tiny dab of bandage glue. You remember, immediately, how many times you've done this for him.

He chuckles in your ear and you can feel the heat from his breath tickle your neck. He raised Goosebumps. "Come on, Missy. I'm barely a year older than you," he says. "You never change, do you?"

And suddenly your back and neck are very, very cold. You whip around, but Sanousuke is already gone. The half-eaten rice ball lays forgotten on the table.

You don't love Kenshin.

A/N:

Next Drabble: Change


	2. Change

A/N: The second installment.

Change

The nightingales and crickets are still chirping when you finally wake up. It's dark outside, and you wonder if it's so early the sun hasn't come out. From outside you hear the rattle of the main gate and just like the day, it dawns on you that Kenshin is back.

Despite the knowledge that came to you the day before, you know you still care about him. You always will.

He was your first love, after all.

As you tumble sleepily out of your soft, warm futon and onto the freezing floor and fumble for your wrap, you understand why you don't love him anymore.

You're tired.

You – Kamiya Kaoru – are tired of waiting. You thought, long ago, maybe he cared about you. Then he left for Kyoto to battle Shishio. You were sure he liked you. Then after Enishi disappeared he stopped trying to hold your hand. Now, nearly two years since the day he thought he'd lost you, you were praying he loved you.

Instead, he told you after a long silence that he'd be leaving the dojo for seven days.

Perhaps, you decide as you finally tie the wrap around yourself and put on your shoes, perhaps you've been tired for years. Maybe you stopped loving the tragic swordsman a long time ago. When was it, you wonder?

You step out into the dark dawn and race toward the gate, face red from the chill. "Kenshin!" you cry.

He's standing there, barely moving in front of the entrance, Sakabato by his side like always. He hears you coming and turns, a tired smile on his face. "Kaoru-dono."

You've missed him. Your arms wrap around him in a crushing hug. He mutters an "Oro" and his whole body stiffens. You don't let go, and after a few long moments, he sighs, defeated, and places his hand on your back to return the embrace.

"I'm home," he whispers.

You say, "Welcome back," into his shoulder, and marvel at how comfortable this is. He's only ever regarded you as a friend – you see that, now. A good friend, but not a lover. You realize that, just maybe, being best friends is better.

Perhaps you should have given up on your one-sided love long ago. You feel all romance leave you, and it's beautiful. Kenshin is your best friend. You love him, but you don't love him like _that_. Not anymore.

You pull back and notice a large scratch that's dribbling blood on his neck. You hit his shoulder with all your might.

"Ah!" he cries.

"Idiot!" you yell, seizing his hand and leading him to the kitchen to find the medicine chest. "I told you to be careful! Do you always have to get injured and worry me out of my mind?!"

You don't see his face, but you can tell he is smiling as he holds your hand a little tighter. "You never change, Kaoru-dono," he says quietly.

As you dress his wound, you desperately want to tell him it isn't true.

You don't utter a word.

A/N:

Previous Drabble: Realization

Next Drabble: A New You


	3. A New You

A/N: Third installment.

A New You

The sun finally comes up, and the earth is a little warmer. The nights aren't as cold anymore – summer is approaching quickly. You don't go back to sleep, though after you fix Kenshin's neck you send him to bed. He looked completely exhausted.

Instead, you watch the morning paint the sky blue, watch the stars vanish, and watch the moon slide out of sight. Then you go back to the kitchen, dressed in your red kimono. You haven't worn it since the day after Enishi's disappearance, when you had gone secretly to the police station to see how he was doing.

It's your best kimono, and you wanted to show the white-haired man that you were doing well, and you didn't hold a grudge for what he had done. But the officers told you he'd vanished, so you'd gone home to change into your old and worn purple kimono. If he was gone, you couldn't do anything about it.

As you grill fish and boil rice for breakfast, you wonder why you put it on. You've never dressed up on a regular day like this. And then, right as the mackerel begins to turn charcoal black, you decide that you've put on your best kimono and dressed up to shed your old self. The one that got angry easily, the one that was easily depressed, the one that was so determined, you were blind to anything else, and the you that loved Himura Kenshin, the Man-Slayer.

You're a new you.

"Whoa, Missy!" cries Sano's voice from over your shoulder, and you jump in surprise.

"Gah!" you yell.

Sano's face is absurdly close to yours, and just like yesterday, his arms wrap around you to reach the paddle. He flips the fish. "No wonder you're always burning our meals," he complains, trying to hide a smile. "Do you get lost in thought every time you cook?"

You spin around, much too close to his wrapped chest for comfort, and smack it hard.

He stumbles back and rubs his chin in confusion. "God, Missy."

"Stop doing that!" you cry, and seize the paddle from his hand. "If you want to make breakfast, then ask nicely! Don't grab it from my hands!"

Confused, he points to the fish. "It was gonna burn."

"It didn't burn."

"Because I helped," he said.

You huff in frustration and turn back to the grill, pride once again hurt over your cooking. "Go wake Yahiko, the food is almost done."

He starts to leave, and you call after him, "Oh, and Kenshin, too!"

There's a short pause. You watch the mackerel darken. "Kenshin is back?" asks Sano. "When?"

"This morning," you say, and take the pot of rice off of the fire. "Early."

There's an even longer pause, and you turn your head to check if he's left. Sano is still there, staring at you. He isn't smiling.

You can't remember the last time you didn't see Sano smile. "What?" you ask.

After a moment, he grins. "Nice kimono, Missy," he comments. "You should wear it more than once every two years."

He leaves in the direction of Kenshin's room, and you stare after him. Your heart beats.

A/N:

Previous Drabble: Change

Next Drabble: Laundry Day


	4. Laundry Day

A/N: Fourth installment already : )

Laundry Day

Yahiko absolutely freaks out when he finally comes down from his room and sees Kenshin, sitting calmly at his place at the table, sipping green tea. Sano smirks at the scene of the boy tackling his friend, and you shake your head and serve the rice.

You're all sitting at the table, laughing, joking, and nibbling the crispy fish and soft rice when Yahiko asks loudly, "Where did you go, anyway?"

Kenshin smiles and sets his cup down on the table. "This one had to help other victims of an earthquake."

"There was one outside of Tokyo?" asks the boy. "How did you hear about it? We've been so busy rebuilding everything from the last earthquake, we've barely gotten news from anyone!"

"A letter was sent my way," he explained, holding his empty bowl out to you and smiling sweetly.

You smile back and take it, scooping more rice into it. Your eye catches Sano's as you hand the bowl back. He isn't smiling again, and you send a half-hearted one his way in an attempt to cheer him up.

He only holds out his empty bowl, frown on his face.

You take it.

"I served with this family's father during the Bakumatsu, and am in his debt. I was glad to help his family rebuild their home after the earthquake."

Bowl filled with more rice, Sano reaches across the table and yanks it from your hands. You aren't smiling anymore.

"You're back for good now, right?"

You feel eyes besides Sano's linger on you as Kenshin says "Yes. I am back for good."

Sano looks away and starts shoveling large chopsticks-full of rice into his cheeks. You almost take a bite of more fish, but his sudden cold demeanor has left a bad taste in your mouth. You aren't hungry, so you put your chopsticks down on your bowl and say, "I'm going to start the laundry."

Kenshin blinks. "Kaoru-dono, you barely ate a thing."

Sano shoves a particularly large bite into his mouth as you glance at him and say, "I'm not hungry."

You think, for a moment, he follows your gaze. You think, for a second, you see something dangerous flash across his face as he notices Sano, but then you blink, and he is smiling back up at you. "This one will help you with the wash," he offers, standing.

Sano mumbles about terrible cooking as you walk outside.

Previous: A New You

Next: Sparring


	5. Sparring

A/N: Fifth installment. This one is a little longer.

Sparring

You take a deep breath and feel the air rush into your lungs, and a cold bead of sweat slides down the back of your neck. You suppress a shiver.

"What are you even doing, Ugly?" asks Yahiko rudely, watching you from his cross-legged position several meters away, elbow propped up on his knee. His chin rests in the palm of his hand. "You haven't moved in an _hour_."

You ignore him. Your concentration is most important here, when he has finally started to speak to you.

Yahiko sighs angrily and rolls his head back a little, shouting to the ceiling, "You said we'd learn something good today! You're a liar! Kenshin is back after a whole week and we're in here practicing holding very still. Let's go out to eat or something!"

Your lungs begin to burn, and you slowly and quietly exhale, arms frozen over your head, hands gripping the handle of your _bokken_. It's been so long since you've moved, the blood has all drained from your arms, but you continue to hold very still.

"Kaaaaoru!" cries Yahiko. "KAAAAORU!Are you even listening to me? Hey!"

Your eyes are fixed dead ahead, and when Yahiko gets to his feet and draws near, you let your eyelids flutter shut. You can feel the vibration on the floor where he walks toward you.

"Wake up, will ya?!" There's a sound of wood scraping from a rack on the wall. "Oi, Kaoru!"

Your ears tickle with the _swoosh_ and you move, muscles crying out in relief, and not a second later the _bokken _in your hands trembles with the weight of Yahiko's swing. You hear him distinctively say "What the-?" before you sidestep and slash horizontally toward where his footstep tremors had stopped. There's a thud, an "oof" and your student yells "What the hell?!"

There's another swoosh from your right and you jump back. Wind from his missed swing cuts at the skin on your face, and you raise your practice sword in time to block the second wave. Yahiko makes no move to strike again, so you open your eyes. He looks utterly confused and somewhat awestruck, staring at you like he's never seen you before.

"How?" is all he chokes out.

"You rely too much on your eyes, Yahiko," you say, smiling and lowering your weapon. "You need to practice listening and feeling, too.

"Holy shit, Missy!"

You both turn to the open dojo door to see Sano and Kenshin, both staring at you as if they'd been thoroughly impressed. Sano in particular seemed surprised, with his jaw opened widely.

"When the hell did you learn to do that?!"

You clear your throat and say "I learned it when I first took up Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu. My father taught me to feel the earth."

Kenshin's lips curl upward in a smile. "I never knew you were such an accomplished swordswoman, Kaoru-dono," he says.

You feel a familiar anger bubble up in your stomach. "Why, because I never show it?" you snap. "I'm still nowhere near strong enough to match you or Saito."

"What about me?" asks Sano gruffly.

You ignore him. "Just because I've never closed my eyes and held a sword before doesn't make me less of a swordswoman. In case you haven't noticed, Kenshin, I'm a _master_. I actually _teach _people how to use swords at this school, but I guess you only consider those you deem worthy to spar with as actual kendo masters."

He doesn't seem offended or confused by this speech at all. Instead Kenshin smiles, takes off his shoes at the dojo entrance, and walks up to you. You stare. "Kaoru-dono," he says quietly, "Would you allow me to spar with you?"

Where you have no words to answer, Yahiko has plenty. "What?!" he yells. "Kenshin, you never spar with _anyone_! You haven't even sparred with Sano, not since he was still a fight merchant! And that was an actual fight! This isn't fair!"

"Well?" prompts Kenshin.

You can't deny that you've wanted to spar against Kenshin since you first discovered he was the Hitokiri Battousai. The idea both excites and terrifies you. Part of you doesn't want to fight him at all, because then the gap in your skills will become so obvious to him.

The part that wants you to prove yourself is greater, though. You nod. "Okay. Let's spar."

It's painfully obvious that Sano is staring at you, but you don't know why. You're too busy to think about it – for the first time in the three years since you'd met him, you are finally about to go sword-to-sword with your best friend.

You and Kenshin face each other on opposite sides of the dojo, his _Sakabato_ safely in Yahiko's arms on the sidelines. He is holding a _bokken_, and it looks strange to you. You're so nervous you can barely think, but you force your eyes shut, and suddenly the world is clear to you.

You can hear Yahiko's loud breathing from meters away. Behind you, the rustle of cloth tickles your ears and you know Sano has crossed his arms. There is no sound in front of you, nor tremor in the floor.

Kenshin must be holding very still. He probably isn't even inhaling. You didn't expect him to take you as a serious opponent right from the start, and you're flattered he isn't treating this as a joke. You wait. There is no sign of movement at all, but you can hold still for hours. Finally, you hear the barely audible scrape of his socks against the _tatami_, and you only have a split second to raise your bokken before he slams his down with the force of a bull.

You get lost in the rumbles under your feet, and step to the side and swing, only to be met with another clash and sharp crack of wood. Kenshin is extraordinary. You've always known, but actually fighting him is different – you feel exhilarated.

You don't know if he's impressed with you or not. He hasn't landed a blow you haven't blocked, but you strongly suspect he's taking it easy on you. Besides, your eyes are closed and his are not. You can hardly hear his attacks. They're so fast that his sword cuts through the air like it's nothing, and his footsteps are so light and quick it's difficult to keep track of his position.

You fake a step back but drop into a crouch, swinging to the left with a cry. Your _bokken_ hits something soft. Your eyes fly open.

Kenshin's grinning down at you, and you stare at your practice sword, pressed into his leg.

"You let me win on purpose," you whisper.

"Of course not," he says.

Yahiko nods frantically from the sidelines and mouths "He did!"

Still, he looks impressed. You feel pride well up in your chest. You turn to the door to grin at Sano and celebrate your fake victory, but he isn't there anymore. Your smile fades.

"My turn, my turn!" Yahiko yells, dropping the Sakabato and seizing Kaoru's _bokken_. "Me next!"

"Okay, okay," Kenshin chuckles.

You go to the door and pull on your shoes. Sano's white coat flutters out of sight beyond the gate. You start to go after him.

"Kaoru-dono?"

You pause to look back at your best friend. He knows Sano had left, you realize. He knows where you're going, too. You don't stop to wonder why. "I'll be right back," you say, and chase after the "Aku" on Sano's back.

You find him staring at the water on the bridge by the river. He isn't smiling.

A/N:

Previous: Laundry Day

Next: The Festival


	6. The Festival

A/N: Sixth installment. These drabbles will vary in length, I've decided.

The Festival

Tokyo is preparing for the spring lantern festival as you walk slowly up to Sano on the bridge. From the urban crowd of houses and shops just over the river, you can see the people bustling around with decorations, hanging the delicate paper lanterns from trees and roofs and buildings. It's barely four in the afternoon, and the sun is still high in the sky.

Sano stares at the water, a grim expression on his face. His bandaged hands are clasped over the railing, and he doesn't look up when he hears you approach. You say nothing, and instead stand next to him. Your heart is thumping, almost painfully, and you aren't sure why. You want to know what is wrong with Sano.

You've never seen him like this.

There are fish in the river, swimming against the current in groups of two and three. After several long minutes, you sink deep into thought. You don't know Sano, you realize. You've never bothered to, but things are different. Things have changed, and you feel different.

"Why are you here?" he asks you suddenly.

"Huh?" You look at him. His eyes are still fixed out at the water. You swallow. "I was done sparring, so I thought I'd get out of the house," you say.

"Liar," he accuses. "You're out in your _ hakama_. You were in a rush."

You silently curse your kendo clothing and wish you could magically change back into your fancy red kimono he'd complimented early that morning. You lick your lips. "I saw you leave, so I followed you here."

"You haven't answered my question," he says, eyes staring at the fish.

"Huh?"

"Why are you here?"

Confused, you say, "I just said I followed you-"

"No," he growls, "Why are you _here_?"

You're at a loss for words. After long moments of silence, Sanousuke sighs and looks at you, smiling half-heartedly. "They're having the lantern festival today," he says quietly.

You nod.

"Well?" he asks. "Don't you wanna go?"

His invitation makes your heart race a little faster. "Sure," you say. Those are the only words you can form. Sano chuckles a little and starts walking toward the town. You trip after him, your ponytail swaying in the light breeze.

You and Sano go for dinner at the Akabeko, deciding among yourselves that Kenshin and Yahiko can fend for themselves. You talk about nothing in particular and share a hot pot. Sano's mood improves greatly, and he starts telling terrible jokes that are, for reasons beyond you, hilarious. By the time all the beef is nearly gone, you're laughing so hard your sides are about to split, and he's grinning so hugely it looks like he's all teeth.

Tae and Tsubame serve you a dessert on the house, smiling at you secretively. Sano orders a bottle of Sake and you share it, though he drinks most of the rice wine. The evening wears on, and it doesn't escape your notice that he's staring at you. The sky grows darker, the streets more crowded, and the lanterns start being lit. You decide to stare back.

It's strange.

There's a warm feeling in your stomach, and your chest is about to burst.

Tummy and heart full, you pay for the meal and exit the Akabeko. The air is dark but the brightly colored lanterns are everywhere, illuminating the street and Sano's face. You were laughing so hard in the restaurant that walking side by side in silence now is a little strange. But you're comfortable.

The city is beautiful. Your hands hang by your sides, and Sano's do, too. You swallow as you walk. His fingertips brush by accident against your skin. The two of you turn down a street with fewer occupants, away from the game and food stalls and crowds. His hand brushes yours again, and you wonder if it's a coincidence.

The path is still well-lit by the blue and green lanterns, but further up the road you and Sano are the only ones walking.

"I'm glad we came," you say, breaking the tense silence. "I wasn't planning on it this year, but it's been a lot of fun. I'm happy you invited me."

Your hands bump, your heart thumps. "It's awfully pretty," says Sano. "If we'd brought the brat along he'd have ruined it."

You agree, but you're also glad Kenshin isn't there. In fact, you're very happy that it's just the two of you. "Did you know I thought I'd never see you again?" you ask him.

"When?"

"When you got chased out of Japan after Enishi disappeared. I was sure you were gone forever."

He grins, eyes dead ahead. "I'd never leave you for _forever_," he says.

Your face gets warm, and you just know you're blushing. "Oh."

The path glitters in the colored lights. Sano slows down, and then stops walking entirely. You stare at him, and he opens his mouth to speak. "You're a good girl, Missy," he says, not looking you in the eye. "You've been a good friend to me. When I got chased away I was worried I wouldn't come back, either. But I had a promise to keep."

"A promise?"

"I swore I'd be by Kenshin's side, help him protect what's precious to him. The dojo, this town, the brat, you…"

You blink. What's he trying to say?

Sano looks at you, and seems like he's about to say something important, something life changing. But he doesn't. He shakes his head, mumbles, "Never mind," and scratches his chin. "You'll be fine."

"What are you talking about?" you ask quietly. "It sounds like…" It sounds like he's trying to push you away. Normally you'd be angry with him for being so cryptic, and you realize he's waiting for you to yell at him and demand answers. He looks a little desperate for you to yell at him. Instead, you reach for his hand.

He pulls away and starts walking before you can touch him. He chuckles. "You never change, Missy," Sano laughs.

Your legs refuse to follow him. Crestfallen, your hand falls back to your side, fingertips cold.

He realizes after only five meters that you aren't following him and turns back to look at you. "Missy?" he says. You don't move. He takes a step toward you. "Kaoru?"

"Things do change," you whisper, and Sano stops. "Nothing stays the same forever. _I've _changed. I don't want to be who I was, not anymore, that dream is gone, Sano!"

"Kaoru…"

"I _know_ things are different, and I _want_ them to be," you shout.

You, Kamiya Kaoru, do not love Himura Kenshin. In fact…

You take a deep breath. "Sano," you start.

"Don't say it!" he snaps.

One of the lanterns goes out, and the road seems much darker. Sano's face is hidden in the shadows.

He turns his back to you, the "Aku" for evil standing out in the night, and growls over his shoulder, "You're driving me crazy." He leaves you there, on the dark road, not once looking back. He knows, you realize. He knows, and he doesn't want it. Doesn't want you.

You wait for hours for him to come back.

He doesn't.

A/N:

Previous: Sparring

Next: Departure


	7. Departure

A/N: Sorry about the wait. Seventh installment. Enjoy.

Departure

When all the lights have died in the paper spheres and the darkness of night has faded to a brilliant but cold summer morning, you decided it is time to go home.

The roads are deserted as you walk to the bridge, trembling in your thin kendo clothes. It was a chilly night, and you didn't sleep at all. You're tired, confused, cold, and hurt, and the thin light of early morning spiraling down through the humid mist of the midnight rain that canceled the festival makes your eyes sore. You're dizzy and it's hard to breathe.

He didn't come back.

In fact, no one came to find you.

You curse yourself as you stumble toward the bridge, which has just come into sight. You should have gone home before you tried to confess. No, you chide yourself; you shouldn't have chased after him in the first place.

But you did.

You spoke.

And you were rejected.

Your footsteps slow once you step onto the creaking wood of the bridge. The rain that no one expected had softened it, somehow made it look older, feel more ancient. Halfway over the river you stop.

You made a mistake. It hurts to know, but you made a mistake. Sano hadn't been flirting with you and he didn't like you. He was just being Sano, and you had to go and fall in love with him.

Hand frozen over the damp wooden railing, you blink.

In love? No; you don't _love_ Sano. You can't _love_ him. You were only taken with the attention and turned it into something it wasn't. You can get past this, and you know it. In a few hours Sano would wake up and act normally, and you would forget everything that happened between you.

Everything.

"Kaoru-dono?"

Through the confusing blurred lines of the earth swimming around you, you look up and see Kenshin at the head of the bridge. He's staring at you in surprise, the empty bucket you usually have him fill with rice and miso at the market slung over his shoulder. You're so cold your teeth chatter.

Kenshin takes a silent step forward. "You… didn't come home after you ran your errand? Sano said he expected you soon after he got back,"

You open your mouth to reply to your best friend, but you can't form any words. You're dizzy and it's hard to breathe.

"Kaoru-dono? You're shaking…"

You're dizzy and it's hard to breathe.

He puts his palm on your forehead. "Oh, Kaoru- dono, you're burning up-!"

You crumple to the wood of the bridge, Kenshin's fingertips slipping from your skin. The shouts of concern he cries at you are muffled, lost, and you allow yourself to slide calmly out of consciousness.

Everything departs from you.

A/N:

Previous: The Festival

Next: Fever Lights


	8. Fever Lights

A/N: Sorry about that, lads – has a serious case of writers block and started working on a dozen different projects. I've known how I want this to play out for ages, but I only just figured out how to do it. Enjoy!

Fever Lights

It's quite obvious that you're ill; you can barely move from your spot on your futon, every sound is fuzzy and muffled in your ears, and all the lights you see are dim, low, as if burning slowly.

Fever lights.

Kenshin is by your side when you wake up, and he doesn't leave. "You seem to be sick, Kaoru-dono," he explains cheerfully. "It was too cold last night, and you caught a chill." He hands you a packet of powdery medicine and helps you sit up. Your head swims.

"Thank you, Kenshin," you say. The coarse, hoarseness of your voice surprises you. He fetches a cup of water and you swallow down the powder, wincing when your throat smarts. He smiles at you in return, and you wait for him to ask why you stayed outside all right in the rain. The secret is weighing down on your shoulders, and you're glad that Kenshin is here – you want so badly to speak with someone about your heartbreak, especially him. Especially your best friend.

Kenshin tilts his head, orange hair falling into his eyes, and opens his mouth. He pauses, blinks, and closes his lips, smiling at her. "I've asked Yahiko to prepare lunch in your stead," he mentions, and begins to fold laundry by the side of your futon. "Perhaps it was wrong of me to ask you to spar yesterday. You're quite exhausted and ill now because of it, Kaoru-dono. The rain only made it worse."

He doesn't ask. You wonder if he's ignorant or if he doesn't want to know at all. You quietly take another sip of water. You know Kenshin is smart; even a fool might put two and two together given all the evidence.

You chased after Sano and didn't return home until the very early morning, when he himself had been home for hours. The possibilities were limited as to what could have occurred.

So, you wonder if Kenshin doesn't care, or doesn't know. Or, the idea strikes you, doesn't want to know.

With another sip of water, the fever lights grow a little clearer and sound is a little sharper. Your head is still throbbing and now you're feeling a particularly cold chill, but your senses are back on alert. Kenshin finishes folding Yahiko's _hakama_ and glances at you. "How do you feel, Kaoru-dono?"

"Better," you say, wincing again at the sound of your voice. You're trying not to think too much about Sano. You refuse to wonder where he is. "It'll take a day or two for me to recover, but I'll be fine."

He breathes a sigh of relief and reaches out to pat your shoulder. "I'm very glad," he says in a low tone. You stare at each other for a few seconds, then he starts on folding towels. "Kaoru-dono," he begins quietly, "May I ask you a question?"

Unsettled by the staring contest, you shove the discomfort to the back of your mind and say, "Of course, Kenshin."

He no longer looks you in the eyes. "What would you do if you had to settle a debt from long ago?"

He's acting strange. You try not to overreact. "D-debt? What kind of debt?"

His hands still. His dark brown eyes are fixed on a random point.

You're scared. "Kenshin?" you say. "You… You aren't thinking of going away again, are you?"

He doesn't answer.

"Are you?"

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

You feel the world around you collapse.

"There is one last debt. Only one, then this one will be free."

You swallow. "How long will you be gone?"

He lowers the half-folded towel into his lap and looks at her, a smile on his face. It's a sad smile. "Hopefully not longer than eight months."

Eight months. You can't speak. The fever lights are acting up again and nothing is clear.

Kenshin sighs and turns his eyes to the ceiling. He looks much older, for some reason. "I leave tomorrow."

A/N:

Previous: Departure

Next: You Wait Again


	9. You Wait Again

A/N: I'm on a roll, ladies and gentlemen and all in-between. Enjoy.

You Wait Again

When you see Sano again, it's the next morning. Your fever hasn't broken, but you're so resilient that you're practically better already. Still, the late spring is chillier than usual, so you're wrapped up in a large blanket to keep warm and it's embarrassing.

You're both outside along with Yahiko, who hasn't stopped complaining about Kenshin since he'd heard the news the night before.

"What, he's been home for two days – _two days_ – and he's leaving again for eight months? What the hell kind of person does that? He JUST got back from a week-long trip, and he's leaving again? What the fuck?!"

"Watch your language," you warn in a stern but rough voice. Your throat is still in pain.

"You aren't angry, Kaoru?" he asks, astonished. "What is all this about settling a debt, anyway? Did he tell you about it?"

Sano kicks a loose stone and it hits against the gate. His hands are shoved into his pockets, eyes fixed on the dirt.

You shake your head. "He didn't."

Yahiko's jaw drops. "_What_?! He tells you everything! You were the only person he told when he left for Kyoto-"

Sano kicks another stone, and it makes a sharp cracking sound against the gate. He's clearly in a very bad mood. You worry it's because he's angry with you, or disgusted with you. You bite your lip.

The screen door to the house slides open and all three of you turn around. Kenshin smiles back at you.

"You needn't all come to see me off," he says.

He looks different. Not older anymore, but younger. He's pulled his usual low ponytail into a high one, has switched out the terrible pink _hakama_ for a dark blue, and he holds his _Sakabato_ differently at his side. It no longer looks like a tool to you, but a brand. He seems proud to carry it. You wonder if he's always been this way, and the fever is throwing you for a loop.

Regardless, you smile. "I guess you're really leaving, huh?" you ask.

He leaves the house, shutting the screen behind him, and walks up to you, that same sad smile on his face. Sano looks in a different direction. "Kaoru-dono," he explains, "When I settle my debt, I'll be free. I won't feel burdened to live as a killer. I believe this one will allow himself to be happy."

Tears well up in your eyes. "You only just got home," you say weakly.

Kenshin pulls you into a warm hug, and the blanket drops to the dirt. "Eight months, Kaoru," he whispers. "I _will _come home. This one swears on his _Sakabato_."

You understand, perhaps better than anyone else, what such a promise means to Himura Kenshin.

As he pulls back, he says, "Sano will look after you when I'm gone."

Your eyes jerk to the man, and you find that he's staring right at you, face completely blank.

"I've spoken to him about several things. Eight months will pass quickly, I promise." Kenshin, _your_ Kenshin, smiles again, and the hint of sadness is gone. "I promise, Kaoru."

He says a quick goodbye to the boys, to which you can barely pay attention, and waves one last time at the gate before readjusting the pack on his back and vanishing into the distance.

Yahiko heads to the dojo almost immediately once he yells after Kenshin that he'll be able to beat him when he returns, leaving you and Sano alone.

You swallow. "Sa-"

"Just come get me if you need anything," he says bluntly, turning to go. "I'll be helping the brat train while you recover."

"Okay," you whisper.

He stops, a few meters away, and clears his throat. "Don't get sick anymore," he orders. "And… Let's not talk about what happened during the festival." There's a pause. "Ever."

He leaves you, and you return very slowly some time later to your room. Kenshin is gone and you're stuck with the man who rejected you for eight, long months.

All you can do is wait for your dearest friend to return.

So, you do.

Again.

A/N:

Previous: Fever Lights

Next: Closer


	10. Closer

A/N: Picking up speed, ladies and gents. A wordy chapter, if there ever was one.

Closer

It only gets really warm outside after Kenshin leaves. You made sure he promised to try writing you at least once a month, and already two days in you're wondering when the first letter will arrive.

This is different from when he left for a week; you barely thought of him at all during that time, and you were so busy training Yahiko and trying to rebuild after the earth quake that you simply hadn't the time. But it's different. Now, Kenshin and Sano are all you can think of. You wonder, as you try to quickly finish up the laundry at ten in the evening, if you should have spoken with him after all. You want badly to speak to _someone_.

For the most part, Sano has stayed out of sight. You both haven't had a decent conversation since the festival, and even though only four long days have passed, it's the longest you've gone without talking to him in years.

Privately, you grieve for the loss. Not only the loss of potential romance, but also for the loss of a dear friend. He's gone to the market to fetch things when you've asked him to, and he helped sweep the courtyard when you gave him the task, but he hasn't said one word to you otherwise.

You aren't even sure if he's looking you in the eyes.

You sigh and flex your head back and forward on your sore neck. The soapy water has made your fingertips pruney, and Yahiko is working a late shift at the Akabeko, otherwise you wouldn't be doing this all alone. You're no longer ill – the fever has been gone for a while and your headache cured, but you've been quite tired ever since the sickness took hold of you. Megumi visited the day before to check up on you, and she seemed unconcerned. Plenty of bedrest would cure you, she said.

Another sigh escapes your lips. There's no time for bedrest.

"Tired, Missy?"

You look up. Sano is leaning against the dojo wall, hands in his pockets. You sniff. "No. I'm fine, just finishing up the wash." You scrub the clothes under the water with new vigor to prove your lie true. "See?"

He hums and grabs a stool from around the corner, pulling it right up to the edge of the washbin. "We both know that's bullshit," he says casually. "Lemme help – it'll go faster, and you can get to bed."

You swallow. "Okay…" For a few minutes, you scrub the clothes in silence together.

"It's weird with Kenshin gone, huh?" he asks suddenly.

"What? Oh…" Your shoulders square. "He's left before. At least we know he's coming back this time."

"…Yeah. At least he's coming back."

Your lips turn down in a frown. You _hope _he comes back. He promised you, but things change. You aren't sure how much longer Kenshin will want to stay at the dojo after – or if – he returns. He's not too old, and his looks are above average. There's no _way _he doesn't have a chance at getting remarried, and now that you've made peace with the idea that his next wife isn't you, you aren't sure when a nice lady will come along. It's unreasonable to think that she'll want to live in your house with you, an unmarried woman, especially with her husband about.

Kenshin will probably have to move once he finds a wife.

Kenshin will leave for good, and then Yahiko will get old enough to marry Tsubame and move out, and Sano could find a bride at any moment he so pleases and leave you. Your chest tightens.

"Hey." Sano reaches toward your face, and you don't have enough time to flinch back before he wipes a large handful of bubbles off on your nose.

"What-?"

He bursts out laughing, shoulders bouncing up and down merrily. "Your face!" he wheezes. "You look so offended! They're just soap suds, Missy!"

A warm, familiar anger bubbles up inside you, and you rip both your hands into the air, pulling a good deal of water with them. Sano is drenched, his usually tall hair hanging heavily by his face. After a second, you smirk. He grins.

"So that's the way it's gonna be?" he asks, scooping up two heaping handfuls of bubbles and taking a step in your direction. You jump to your feet and move back. "Come here."

You shake your head and giggle nervously.

He takes another step. "Come here, Missy. Nothing to be afraid of."

He makes of show of twisting his face into a funny expression and rushes at you. You shriek in alarm and joy and try to dash out of the way to no avail. In retaliation, you smear the leftover suds onto his face and when your eyes meet, you both crack up.

Maybe you _haven't_ lost another friend yet.

He's acting the way he did when Kenshin left for the week, and even though that behavior was new and alarming to you, you feel like the old Sano is back, and you needn't worry about the awkwardness from being rejected. It's like it never happened.

You and Sano grow a little closer that night; it's his way of telling you things are fine between you again, and you appreciate it.

Still…

You can't help it if your heart beats faster when you see him.

A/N:

Previous: You Wait Again

Next: Normal (?)


	11. Normal (?)

A/N: Aaaand, the action begins. I realize this isn't a typical Rurouni Kenshin fic, but the number of SanoXKaoru shippers out there is dangerously low. Even if this isn't your cup of tea, thanks for reading.

Normal (?)

Things between you and Sano are…

Normal.

You think.

Yahiko is only ever out of the dojo when he's eating, sleeping, or working at the Akabeko – it seems he's serious about beating Kenshin when he returns in eight months. He'll never best Kenshin, but to be fair, despite being so young, Yahiko has improved greatly.

You watch from the sidelines as he cuts the air with his _bokken_, your arms crossed. Occasionally you offer words of reform, such as, "Straighter. A little more force. Try not to turn so sharply."

Sometimes Sano joins you. Like today, when he's present he sits at the far end, picking something in his teeth, and watching in silence. Your eyes meet – he gives you a delayed grin, and you smile back politely.

Things between you are…

Normal.

He no longer avoids you, for one. You speak shortly but kindly to each other and share a laugh over trivial things at _least _once a day. And lately, he helps you to do laundry every night. You never talk about what happened at the festival, and it's starting to slowly drive you mad.

Just because he rejected you doesn't mean you no longer like him. You don't even know _why _you like him; he's a self-righteous, pompous _ass _sometimes. But… You like him. Your heart skips a beat when your hands accidently brush underwater on laundry nights. Your cheeks flush when he smiles softly at you.

There's nothing you can do to fix it.

"Yahiko, that's enough," you order, ripping your gaze away from the man. "Do five-hundred swings."

The brat drops his _bokken_ in shock. "_Five-hundred_?!"

"Don't like it?" you ask. "Okay, Seven-hundred."

"Hey, ugly-!"

"Do you want to be a match for Kenshin or not?" you ask. "You've only got seven months left to train."

Immediately his chest puffs out. "Fuck that, ugly, I'll do a thousand by midnight!" He does start, instantly, yelling each number of swings in a voice that rivals thunder. "ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!"

You can't help the smile that spreads across your face. Catching Sano's eye, you nod in the direction of the doors and he quietly gets up and follows you out. You shut the sliding doors just as Yahiko's cries of "ELEVEN! TWELVE! THIRTEEN!" are muffled.

Sano yawns, arms stretched above his head. "A thousand? Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"He's the one who said it, not me," you say, shrugging.

The man chuckles and sighs. "He's gotten a lot better already, hasn't he?"

"And he doesn't even realize it," you affirm warmly. "I'm proud of him – he's the strongest thirteen year old in all of Japan! Maybe even in all of Asia!"

"No way," he laughs, playfully nudging your shoulder. "Kid's a samurai, not a martial artist. They have schools _dedicated _to physical strength on the Mainland. Bunches of 'em."

You blink. "The Mainland? Sano, have you been to China?"

"When I was on the run," he admits. "Hell, Missy, I went to dozens of places. I was gone for over a year – I'll admit I spent three months of that year in China, but I visited tons of different countries all over during the other nine."

You never knew this about Sano. You smile. "Like where? I've never been outside Japan."

"Tons of locations. The world's a big place, Missy. Huge. I stayed for nine weeks in a village in Vietnam, made friends with the locals. Couldn't speak a lick of their language, and they couldn't speak a lick of mine, but what we had was real. Friendship extends past language barriers."

Amazed, you ask, "Where else?"

"I hitched a ride to Thailand with a traveling caravan. Stayed by the temples there for days; it was so beautiful I didn't want to leave. I spent the next four months traveling from island to island in Malaysia. We stopped for a few weeks in Taiwan, and then I spent the rest of the year in Joseon*. You'll never guess: I even met the King."

You gasp. "The King? No way! What was he like?"

"Let's just say I'm better looking," he says, grinning.

You laugh.

"Hey, what should we do for dinner?" Sano asks. "I don't think the brat's going to be finished any time soon…"

From beyond the walls of the dojo, you hear Yahiko yelling, "EIGHTY-SEVEN!"

"Akabeko?" you suggest, holding out your fist.

He stares at you for a moment, and the smile slips off your face. He no longer looks cheerful. He's melancholy, forlorn, and he's looking at you like how you look at things you can't touch. Your heart thumps against your ribs. Finally, Sano, raises his fist and bumps it gently against yours. "Akabeko," he agrees.

You walk into town together without talking much. Your head is spinning. Does he really feel nothing for you? His eyes just then…

In the silence, he cracks a crude joke.

You bust up and he grins his stupid grin again.

Things between you and Sano are normal.

_You think_.

A/N:

*Jeoseon is modern-day Korea. Sano most likely only visited in the south.

Previous: Closer

Next: No News is Good News


	12. No News is Good News

A/N: Longest chapter yet. Shit gets real.

No News is Good News

The food is hot and bursting with flavor. The Akabeko has always been popular, and poor Tae is running around, trying to serve everyone. It's a Wednesday evening, and the place is _packed_. Shouts of laughter and a general babble of conversation is the only source of sound. It's so loud inside that you can't hear anything else.

Sano tells more jokes and your conversation switches back and forth between politics, human nature, comedy, and back to politics. The entire dinner is filled with talking. There is never a dull moment. You finish off the last of the hot pot and think to yourself that you're glad you can still talk like this. At least you can still be friends.

"I'm too full," Sano groans.

"Me too," you sigh, leaning back in your chair. You add thoughtfully, "I wonder if Yahiko is done with his swings?"

He snorts. "No way! You gave the kid a thousand. He barely broke a hundred when we left, and I'll bet his arms are practically bleeding they're so sore. He'll need to take a break if he wants to live."

You chuckle. "You don't know Yahiko very well. He'll swing his _bokken_ with his feet if his arms become useless."

Tae makes a beeline for their table, balancing a large plate of someone else's food. "Here's your check!" she exclaims, placing the bill before them.

You smile. "Thanks, Tae!"

She looks and Sano and then winks at you. You feel your face flush, but luckily Sano isn't paying attention. Tae leaves and you reach for your purse.

You blink. "Huh?"

"What's up?" Sano asks.

You check your other pocket. "My purse…"

His jaw drops. "Don't tell me you forgot to bring it…"

Frantically, you reach inside the front folds of your clothes as well, but there's nothing there. You recall placing it atop your futon this morning before training with Yahiko. "Shit… Sorry, Sano, can you stay here while I run back to the dojo? I should only be gone for thirty minutes."

You make a move to stand, but he reaches out and grabs your hand. "Wait," he whispers. "I have a better idea."

His hand is rough and warm. He's healed from the last injury, so there are no bandages between your skin. You feel your heart accelerate. You gulp. "What?"

"Missy," he begins seriously, "Have you ever dined and dashed?"

You choke on your own spit. "_What_?!"

"Let's try it!" he exclaims, a boyish glint of mischief in his eyes. "You can come back tomorrow and pay, it's not like we're getting a freebee! Come on!"

Thirty seconds later, you can hardly believe you're running as fast as you can away from the Akabeko, Sano sprinting by your side. "This is crazy!" you yell.

He throws his fists into the air in victory, and yells back, "_Whooo_!"

Laughter bubbles up from within you, and you follow suit. "We're crazy!" you cry through your giggles.

You hear a shout to stop, and one quick look back tells you there's a police officer chasing after you. He must have seen you dash from the Akabeko! Sano sees him too, and grins hugely. "That's more like it!" he bellows. "Come on, Missy! Today, you're free! Leave everything else behind!"

He grabs your hand and pulls you along a deserted road, making it more difficult for the officer to follow after you. He's holding on tight, and you hope he doesn't notice you squeeze back. There's a large pile of stacked baskets next to a house down the road, and he points to it.

"Let's hide there! He won't find us!"

You laugh again and gasp out, "Okay!"

Hiding between the baskets and the wall proves to be more difficult than you thought. The space is narrow, and while they're stacked high enough to conceal you _and _Sano's tall hair, they're very light. One little nudge and the whole thing could come tumbling down.

The result ends up being that your back is pressed against the wall of the house, and Sano is basically pressed against _you_, because if he moves back even a centimeter, the tower will crumble. He's so close you can feel his breath on your face and his heart beating through his chest.

You aren't laughing anymore.

The quick footsteps and the wheezing of the officer sound just beyond on the road. "Shit," he gasps, "Where did they go?" He groans and keeps running until he disappears around the corner.

You breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank god," you say, and look up, "We did it!"

Sano is staring at you again.

Your smile melts, and you can feel the beating slightly increase in speed. You aren't sure if it's your heart or his.

He doesn't look away. He _must _feel something. You can't believe he doesn't. You've already been rejected, so you have nothing to fear, and you have to know the truth. You have to ask him. Trembling, you open your lips. "Sano-"

He kisses you.

Only for a moment.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Why are you sorry?"

He blinks.

"Why are you sorry?" you repeat, a little louder. "If you like me, tell me!"

"Kaoru, it's not that simple-"

"It IS that simple!" you yell, shoving him back. He bumps into the baskets and they tumble into the street. He stares. "You wouldn't kiss me if you didn't like me!" you rationalize. "Why are you pretending you don't? I don't understand!"

"Listen to me-"

"You _do _like me, I can tell!" you continue. Your heart is pouring out of your mouth at this point, and you can't stop it. "So _why_, why are you stopping yourself from chasing me? Why did you reject me?!"

"Kenshin's proposing!" he yells.

Your blood runs cold and you freeze.

"When he gets back," Sano whispers. "He told me he's gonna marry you."

Your mind is blank.

"I thought he wasn't interested in you either!" he yells, frustration in his voice. "It's been two damn years since we rescued you from Enishi, and he didn't make a single move! EVERYONE thought he didn't love you, Kaoru! I gave him enough time, more than enough, but he didn't do a damn thing, so I decided I was finally going to do something about this horrible one-sided crush I've had for _years_!"

A breeze gently flows around you, carrying the scent of spring.

Sano continues. "Then he told me, right after he got back from his last trip. He said he had to leave again, for eight months, and that when he came home he was going to propose to you. He asked me to keep you safe, look after you. How can I keep having feelings for my best friend's future wife?" He shakes his head. "I can't do that to Kenshin. I owe him too much."

You find your voice as suddenly as you lost it. "I don't _love _Kenshin!" you cry. "I-"

"Kamiya, Sagara."

You jump. Standing in the road, staring at you with his dangerous, cold eyes is Saito.

"Saito-san," you say in surprise.

Sano is caught off guard, too.

The Wolf of Mibu narrows his eyes at both of you. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Why?"

"Have you heard from Battousai?" he asks.

You blink. "N-no. He left to go on a trip, he won't be back for seven months. I'm expecting a letter soon, but… Why?"

His stony expression gives nothing away. "Come with me," he demands. "There's something I need to show you both."

You exchange a glance.

Saito takes you in the direction of the police station.

A/N:

Previous: Normal (?)

Next: One Down


	13. One Down

A/N: It's at this point I imagine most of you will begin to wonder why this is titled "Street Fighter Zanza". Hang on a tad longer, lads.

One Down

Saito walks in front of you without once looking back. He moves briskly, silently, and you and Sano struggle to keep up. You whisper quietly under your breath if he has any idea what this is about. Your eyes meet and he shakes his head.

When you arrive at the police station several minutes later, another officer jogs up to you, wheezing and panting. "Chief!" he exclaims, "You found them!"

"No thanks to you, Yamada," Saito responds coldly.

You recognize the officer as the one who had chased you earlier. Sano notices this too, and clears his throat nervously. "So why are we here? What do you want to show us?"

The man exchanges a sharp glance with Yamada, the wheezing officer, and opens the doors to the station. "Not here. We'll talk inside."

A few tense moments later, you and Sano are sitting at Saito's desk in his dark office, watching him slowly take a drag out of a smoking cigarette, and puffing the particles back out into the air. It's a strangely eerie picture, although you've watched him smoke before. It doesn't feel right to speak, so you wait.

There's a decent pause, then Saito pushes the rest of the cigarette into his ashtray, and folds his hands neatly on top of his desk.

"We received a report about a fire in a remote village on the outskirts of Kyoto," he begins. "Naturally, being so far away from Tokyo, this would usually fall under the jurisdiction of the Kyoto police force."

"When was the report filed?" Sano asks.

"Seven days ago," Saito says. "People in Kyoto said they could see the smoke billowing into the sky from miles away. We speculated that another, minor earthquake had occurred and the fire had started because of it, unfortunately but ultimately burning down the entire village."

"Another earthquake?" you whisper.

Saito's eyes narrow. "We were wrong. I personally led a team of officers to the village to oversee cleanup and to rescue any survivors. After looking into the cause of the fire, I have reason to believe this was no accident."

No one moves.

"Arson," he explains. "That's the only explanation for it."

"Why are you telling us this?" Sano demands.

You're suddenly reminded of how well these two get along and put your hand on his knee to tell him to calm down.

Saito's thin left eyebrow rises at the hostility, and he says, "Believe it or not, it concerns you. _Both _of you. And me."

"How could anything concern you and me?" Sano asks angrily.

"Because it's about Battousai," Saito snaps.

You feel all the blood drain from your face. "What about Kenshin?" you ask quietly.

He looks at you for a moment, and you can almost see a flash of pity in his eyes.

"Answer her," Sano says. "What's all this about? What about Kenshin? _Answer her_!"

"He's dead."

You don't believe it.

After an awkward silence, a nervous laugh escapes your lips. "That's ridiculous!" you say.

Beside you, Sano doesn't move.

"That's crazy, right Sano?" you ask. There's no response. "This isn't a very funny joke! I almost fell for it!"

"His body was found in one of the huts in the village," Saito says. "Burned past any recognition, but the height and build are the same. He had his Sakabato, too. It's him."

You can't speak.

Saito reaches into his uniform pocket and takes out another cigarette. He lights it in the silence, but doesn't bring it to his mouth. "Himura Battousai is dead."

A/N:

Previous: No news is Good News

Next: Himura Kaoru


	14. Himura Kaoru

A/N: The fic's namesake approaches closer…

Himura Kaoru

A week has passed, and you can still hardly believe that he's gone. Saito gives you Kenshin's Sakabato, and for days all you do is clutch it to your chest and cry in your room.

He must be dead. You know he has to be, because Kenshin would never be apart from his sword. The Wolf of Mibu offers to show you the corpse, but after explaining that it's so horribly burned and disfigured that it doesn't even look human, you pass. It would be too hard.

Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi feel the loss just as hard as you do. In fact, everyone in Tokyo that knew Kenshin is shocked and in mourning. It seems so unfair to you that such a great swordsman would find his death at the hands of a crazed, mystery arson and not in battle or old age. Of all the ways you pictured him dying, this was not one of them.

It's after a week that you're able to resume your daily life, although you are tired all the time and still burst into tears whenever anyone mentions your dearly departed friend. Kenshin is gone, but you are still here. You need to be there for Yahiko, who is taking this even harder than you.

He stays shut up in the dojo all day, but you never hear him practicing. The doors are always fastened shut, and he won't open them no matter how much you plead.

After the funeral, you sit with your back against the sliding door of the dojo, staring out at the pretty blue sky that is too beautiful for such a dreadful day.

"Yahiko," you say quietly, "Will you please open the doors? I know you're sitting in there all alone."

You wait and listen. From inside, Yahiko sniffs.

The gate is almost directly in front of you, and all you can think of is all the times you watched Kenshin walk through them. "Look," you say, "The sky is so blue today, and the air is crisp and fresh. It'll be summer in a month or so. Even though…"

You swallow.

"…he's gone, we're still alive. The seasons keep changing. More than anyone else, Kenshin would have wanted us to be happy."

There's no sigh of movement from within the dojo. You pull your knees up to your chest and sigh over exaggeratedly, wiping stray tears away from your eyes.

"Ah, I'll bet Kenshin was looking forward to that match you two were going to have! Too bad you've stopped training. Now you'll probably never be on the same level as him."

It's a gamble – normally this would made Yahiko so angry, he'd train for days, vowing to become stronger, even if it cost him a limb. You wait for some kind of sharp retort to hit you, but he doesn't say a thing.

You're getting worried. He hasn't eaten in days. "Yahiko," you begin, wiping more tears away, "Do you want to learn how to fight with your eyes closed? I haven't taught you yet." Nothing. "How about some lunch?" you try again. "We can go to the Akabeko! Don't you want to see Tsubame?" Still, the silence greets you. You know he can't see you, so your face twists in pain as the tears overflow while you try desperately to keep your voice steady. "Hey, say something, Yahiko," you beg. "Don't leave me out here alone. Please…come out… I can't lose anyone else…"

A shadow falls over you, and you look up to see Sano standing before you, blocking the blue sky. He takes one look at your face and sighs. "Why are you trying to cheer everyone up when you're the one who needs it?" he asks.

You sniff.

Sano takes a seat beside you and clasps his hands. "I have an idea," he begins. "It worked for me, maybe it'll work for you, too. You listen up too, Yahiko. I know you can hear us."

You wait.

"My surname isn't Sagara, you know that," he says. "It was the name of a man I respected with all my being, and he was killed unjustly before his time. I took on his name as my own to help cope with the loss." He pauses. "I think you and the brat should do the same."

"You think we should take on Kenshin's name?"

"As a way to honor him, to always remember him. It helped me. I took on a new name as a symbol of what I wanted to become, and I had a new life. I moved, got a new job, and was a new man. I'll always be angry about the death my captain faced, but now I feel at peace with it. Now, I and anyone I meet knows who he was, and no one will ever forget his sacrifice."

You look at the "aku" for evil on his back. He's never been without it.

There's a long pause. "I'll do it," you say. "I'll take on Kenshin's name. But… If I'm going to be a new person, I need a new life." Finally, your true feelings begin to gush. "Everywhere I look in this dojo and the house and this town, all I can see is him! I remember when he was still alive, and I can't stand it!"

You sob.

"I'm trying to be strong, for Yahiko, because he's taking this so hard, but I'm not taking it any better! I want to remember Kenshin in a good light, not wish every waking moment that he isn't dead!"

The doors slide open. You and Sano turn around. Yahiko's eyes are puffy and red, but he has the most determined look on his face that you've ever seen. "Do it," he says.

"Yahiko…" you whisper.

"Start all over. Sell the dojo, move somewhere far away, begin a new life. We all saw how you were when Kenshin left for Kyoto. If you stay here, you're going to go back to that Kaoru. That's not he Kaoru that Kenshin loved!" He jumps to his feet and dashes toward the sword rack, pulling the only non-practice sword from it and presenting it to you. "He wanted you to be strong! If you have to start all over to do that, then do it!"

You're both crying, and Sano watches in silence.

"I can't leave yet," Yahiko explains. "I've got Tsubame to look after. But I won't let you be alone for the rest of your life, Kaoru! When I'm old enough, I'll take Tsubame with me and we'll come live with you! Just… wait for me until then, okay?!"

You nod, but are so overcome you can't speak.

"When I think I'm ready to beat you in a match, I'll come find you," he says. "You're my teacher! My family!" He bows low, and a sob escapes you. "My sister!"

You wonder when it was that he grew up so much.

Sano puts his arms around you both, and says, "I'll come with you. There's nothing for me here, anyway, and I promised Kenshin I'd protect you until he came back. I'm going to stay true to my vow."

"Sano," you cry, "Yahiko! What are we going to do?"

"We're starting over," Yahiko says, squeezing you hard. "I'll just be catching up later."

"Where should we go?" Sano whispers.

The stories he's told you come rushing back, and you find yourself deciding, "The Mainland. We can open a dojo there, have new students. Learn a new language. Find a new home."

"The Mainland," Sano agrees. "You sure about this, Missy?"

"I'm sure," you say. "We'll wait for you, Yahiko."

"Okay," he agrees.

The three of you hug for nearly an hour longer. None of you seem to want to let go. It doesn't take long to prepare to move; there were people jumping at the chance to buy your father's dojo, and the house sells for a good price as well. You have enough money to live in China for weeks while you search for a place to set up your new life.

So, you and Sano pack, and Yahiko moves in with Tae and Tsubame. The day before you and Sano are due to leave Japan forever, you and Yahiko officially and legally have your names changed.

You are now Himura Kaoru.

You are now starting over.

A/N:

Previous: One Down

Next: High Water


	15. High Water

A/N: And so, the journey begins. A shorter drabble, to balance out the long ones I've been posting.

High Water

Yahiko sees you off; the passenger ship you're taking to China is large and looming on the arm of the Japanese docks. The name engraved into the side is in Chinese characters, and while you recognize some from Kanji, you can't read it. It's a Chinese barge, with Chinese sailors, and only a handful of other Japanese passengers.

You hug Yahiko tightly and whisper, "Goodbye, little brother."

He draws back with a determined look in his eyes and vows, "I'll come to China with Tsubame in a few years. I'll be a man by then, Kaoru, and I'll finally be the one to take care of you."

Sano grins and seizes him around the neck, rubbing his knuckles into his hair. "Brat – just focus on your lady! I'll take care of Missy for now, so don't you dare forget to write to us!"

You smile through Yahiko's shouts of protest. "I'll send a letter once we find a place to set up our dojo," you say.

All too soon, the ship is sailing away, and Yahiko runs along the dock for as long as he can, waving goodbye. You wave back, and he's shouting something at you, but you can't hear him anymore. The wind ruffles your good red kimono, and after what feels like hours, the boy you took in as your student and family is nothing but a tiny dot on the high sea.

A hand warmly touches your shoulder. "He'll be all right," Sano says. "He's stupid, but he's strong. When we see him next, he'll be all grown up. Hey," he smirks, "maybe he'll even have married Tsubame!"

You smile. "He's a good kid."

You and Sano retire to your quarters. The voyage will last two weeks. You can barely believe you're doing something so rash and risky, but you already feel free. By day, you watch the high water lap at the sides of the ship. By night, you and Sano spend hours talking about your plans and the best way to begin your new lives.

You're surprised to learn that he speaks no Chinese, despite having lived on the Mainland for three months. He promises to learn, but you secretly think both of you are too headstrong for that. The farther you sail away from Japan, Kenshin fades from your most painful memories. It's still hard, and it always will be, but you remember him with a smile, and honor him with your name.

Your best friend.

Your first love.

As for you and Sano, you haven't spoken about it, but you realize that you can't be together, not this soon. You'd feel guilty to the man who wanted to marry you. Still, as the days go by, your feelings only grow.

You just wonder if he still feels the same.

A/N:

Previous: Himura Kaoru

Next: The Kendo Princess


	16. The Kendo Princess

A/N: I'm so excited for this to unfold, I can't even.

The Kendo Princess

For as long as you can remember, you've been practicing Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu from daybreak to sunset.

The sword that gives life, instead of death. The sword to save others, instead of kill. The sword to carve out the next peaceful era of the world. If you were honest with yourself, you didn't always understand it.

When your father was alive, he drilled you in blocking attacks and using opponent's strength against them, feeling the earth with your eyes closed, catching blades with the back of your hands, and above all else, never giving pain to others, even when it is deserved. It was this that you didn't comprehend; if someone has done a bad thing, they get punished. You knew this; it's just the way the world works.

"Listen to me, Little One," your father began years ago, "If we punish someone with pain for their wrongdoings, it only provokes more anger and crimes on their part. Who are we to deal death to those who have made mistakes?"

"Father," you said, "Don't bad people need to be punished, though? Or they'll keep doing bad things,"

You remember his laugh and the warmth of his lap as he pulls you onto his knee. "Listen, Kaoru; if you correct a dog by hitting it, it only learns to hate the hand that gives it justice. If you give it compassion, not only will it be willing to mend, but you will have formed a bond that cannot easily be broken. So it is with people, too. We're all human, little One. Giving life is always better than giving death."

You thought you understood what he meant at the time, and you live by this philosophy now. It's easy to say pretty words and preach to those around you. However, now that you and Sano are finally docking in the coastal city of Tianjin, it's very easy for you to realize that you've never had a clue what he means.

Compassion does _not_ prevent crime – Shishio Makoto made sure to shatter any rose-colored glass you may have been looking through, and even the memory of Enishi and all the hate he possessed makes it hard for you to believe that pain can't be a proper deterrent from evil. Granted, it's been two years and Enishi hasn't surfaced since he escaped, but you have a feeling that he's out there somewhere, ignoring any lesson his sister's diary tried to teach him.

You aren't sure why you're thinking about the philosophy behind Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu right now. It may be because you're about to try to find a dojo and teach it to students in _China_, so far away from your element.

In any case, you're terrified.

But you're ready.

"Scared?" asks Sano gruffly, standing next to you on the deck as the ship finishes docking.

"No," you lie steadily.

He laughs. "Me neither," he lies back.

The ship jostles, and then stills. You've arrived. You both haven't much luggage. You figured just enough for a few weeks until you find a dojo, then you can buy what you don't have once the profit starts rolling in.

"You haven't had more than one student in three years," Sano observes.

"Doesn't matter," you say. The sailors drop the ramp to the Tianjin docks. "I'm a kendo instructor, Sano. I know you think otherwise because the dojo was never busy, but I'm the Master of Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu. The best of the best. I know what I'm doing."

He grins. "A Kendo Princess, you are," he says. "Maybe you can teach me a little about swords, too, Missy. I can be your first student."

You look at Sano and smile. "Let's focus on finding a place to live," you say. "Are you really okay with this?"

He scratches his head. "With what?"

"Staying with me for the rest of forever," you explain. "What if you find someone you want to marry but feel obligated to stay with me? I wouldn't want to do that to you…"

He faces you. "Kaoru," he says, "just because Kenshin is dead doesn't mean I've stopped liking you."

Your heart skips a beat.

"I don't want to leave you. But we can't…do this. Not now."

You agree with him. "I know. It's too soon."

"Maybe someday," he whispers. "We need time. So, maybe focusing on getting settled is a good way to start." He grins, and there's a little sadness in his eyes. "Wouldn't you agree, Himura Kaoru-san?"

You smile through your tears. "Okay."

You and Sano will talk later.

For now, the Mainland is waiting.

A/N:

Previous: High Water

Next: Search


	17. Search

A/N: Let it be known that I admit I know nothing of Chinese culture. This probably ain't accurate. There, disclaimer. Enjoy.

Search

There's a small inn several minutes into the city by foot that offers free meals for all customers, and although the food isn't what you're used to, the price is low and the rooms are cool. You and Sano can't afford to get separate rooms, and the first night neither of you sleep a wink, even though he's willingly set up camp on the hard floor and you are situated on the matt. What you wouldn't give for a nice, soft futon, you think. It's embarrassing to sleep in the same room as Sano, but it can't be helped.

The woman who runs the inn doesn't speak a lick of Japanese, so you have trouble communicating. She also seems to think that you and Sano are a couple. Whenever you come down to the dining area every morning for breakfast, her small, wrinkled face splits into a huge grin and she wiggles her brow at you suggestively. Sano hasn't seemed to notice, and you thank the Maker for that.

"Ready to head out?" Sano asks, giving the woman a quick grin as she takes his empty bowl and chopsticks from him.

You exhale heavily and nod. "I suppose so. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could find a place on the first day?"

He offers you his hand to pull you up. "Unrealistic," he corrects.

You notice the old woman giving you that suggestive look again, and you get to your feet without his help. The lady looks disappointed and Sano shrugs off your casual dismissal of his help. "Still, though," you sigh. "I'm so anxious to settle down."

The search for a place to call home is difficult. No surprise to you, your Chinese is better than Sano's already, but you still know virtually none, so finding the nearest realtor takes you both well over an hour. In the end, you had to make some pretty bizarre connections between Japanese Kanji and Chinese characters in order to pick the right office.

The streets are bustling as you enter, but the office itself is empty, save for one man in a rounded black hat and a long, black brain going down his back. You have no idea how you're going to communicate to him what you're looking for when he turns around to look at you and gasps at your clothes.

"A Kimono!" he cries.

You blink.

"Dear friends, welcome!" says the man happily, rushing forward and bowing low in greeting. "Are you by any chance Japanese Merchants?"

Shocked, you stutter, "H-how-?"

"Japan is on the business map, Milady, so of course I must learn how to speak the language!" explains the man.

Sano rubs the back of his head. "You're fluent?"

"I am," he responds happily.

"That makes this a whole lot easier," Sano grumbles.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. and Mrs…?"

You feel your face heat up. "Oh, no! We, uh, we aren't-"

"Sagara," Sano interrupts, holding out his hand.

The businessman takes it and shakes firmly. "What a lovely couple you two make," he exclaims. "Now, Mr. and Mrs. Sagara, how may I help you today?"

You're confused – why is Sano pretending that you're married?

The slimy-looking realtor adds, "Of course, there will be tax benefits for married couples, so I think I can help you find whatever it is you're looking for!"

Oh. That's why.

"We're looking for a dojo," Sano explains, and all three of you sit around a low table. The relator pours you both some strong-smelling tea. "Preferably with extra rooms for living space."

"Ah," he says, nodding and handing you the hot cup. "Trying your hand at bringing Japanese Martial Arts here? You're lucky, there's a higher demand for that lately, especially with people pouring in from all over the world. A dojo, was it?"

"I teach swordsmanship," you correct him, "Not Martial Arts. There are elements of it, yes, but it's largely-"

"Oh, kendo!" he exclaims. "Yes, yes, lovely! Large demand for that, too. You're looking for a dojo?"

"It needs to be a specific layout in order to qualify," Sano says. "I have the measurements here…" He withdraws a folded piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to the relator.

"Why, this is very large," he says in surprise.

"Really?" you ask. "That's barely the size of the dojo we had in Tokyo."

"Real estate is typically smaller than you're used to here, I would imagine. China is big but there are _enormous _amounts of people. You want it to have living quarters, too? Let me take a look through what I have…"

He rummages through a box with beautiful hand-drawn depictions of the buildings he had available, and takes a few out.

"How are these? All close to city centers, one extra room each, and in good areas!"

You look over them, but there's something wrong. "They aren't big enough," you say. "And they're in crowded sections. A kendo dojo needs a quiet area, for concentration."

"Hmmm," he hums. "I mean, that's really all I've got, Mrs. Sagara. Except for…"

"Except for what?" asks Sano bluntly.

"Well," the relator begins, dabbing sweat off of his forehead, "There's a larger one. It's bigger than your specifications, even. Used to be a silk factory. With some TLC and polish, I'm sure it would make a fine dojo."

You raise one eyebrow. "Go on."

"It's still in the city, but it's on the outskirts, over the east river." He gulps. "Quiet location. It's got a small but separate building with a bath, a kitchen, and three rooms. There's just _one _thing…"

It sounds perfect. Too good to be true. You wait for the catch.

"I have someone else that's interested in the property," he admits. "But they've been indecisive about if they want it, and I warned them at our last meeting that it was still on the market, so it could be sold at any time… I have another meeting with them tomorrow morning, but I'll cut you a deal; if you purchase the property today, I'll cancel with the other guys _and_ give you a newlywed discount."

He winks.

Sano thinks hard, and eventually turns to you. "What do you want to do, Missy?"

You exhale. "Take us to see it."

A/N:

Previous: The Kendo Princess

Next: Silk and Mud


	18. Silk and Mud

A/N: This is the eighteenth installment of Street Fighter Zanza. Thank you for reading.

Silk and Mud

"It's perfect," you whisper.

The old factory is in a terrible state of disrepair: the screen doors are all ripped and broken, there is odd machinery littering the grounds that you don't recognize, the roof is missing sections, the floor has been completely torn up inside, and there's mud on absolutely everything.

The relator gasps. "Really?! I mean, I knew you'd like it! Bit of a fixer-upper, but it's inexpensive and it's _huge_!"

Sano doesn't seem sure. "You think it'll work, Missy? The repairs alone are going to cost… a lot."

You smile. "I'm not strong for nothing, you know," you remind him. "You and I can buy the materials we need but do the labor ourselves. Look – see how large this open space is? We can put _tatami_ down here, and surround it with hardwood, and we even have enough room to put seating, so we can host mixed martial arts competitions. The ceiling is tall, so the acoustics will be perfect for listening to the air, and there's only homes and country side out here, so it'll be quiet. It's _perfect_."

Smiling largely, you turn to the relator.

"Can we see the house?"

"It's just next door," he says. "In _much _better shape than the factory, I assure you! Pity the buildings aren't connected, but it's only a ten second walk away!"

The small house is a single floor, unlike your home in Tokyo, but it's in fantastic shape. The rooms are small but sturdy, the kitchen is larger than the one you're used to, and the bath is absolutely stunning. It almost looks like an _onsen_.

Sano looks impressed. "I'm sold," he says. "You down, Missy?"

"Oh, yes," you agree. "I feel bad about taking it from the people you said you have an appointment with… Are you certain they were going to pass?"

The relator nods frantically. "Absolutely! If they were going to purchase it, they could have done it weeks ago!"

"Great," you say. "So, about that discount you mentioned…?"

The deal is done. You and Sano are the proud owners of the old silk factory, and after a quick trip into town to gather your belongings from the old Chinese woman's inn that wiggles her eyebrows at you, you return to your new home and immediately get to work.

The main building is simply _slathered _in mud, but before you can clean it, you have to tear up the floor. You work on it while Sano goes back into town to buy some things, and after several hours he returns with a cartload and several very strong men that offer in broken Japanese to help you finish ripping up the floor before they leave and unload the materials. It's very kind of them, and you won't turn down free help. Sano winks at you and begins to unload the materials for patching up the roof.

You learn that the two gentlemen's names are Cheng Lei and Ming Hua, and they're eager to help you with your Chinese.

"_Shi_ needs pronounced more clearly," Ming Hua says as he dumps an armload of debris outside.

You try again. "_Thank you_," you say in Chinese, "_for your help_."

They applaud, pleased with your progress. You've been studying, but you still have trouble remembering the tones for each word. You understand basic conversations, though.

Cheng Lei smiles at you. "You're much better than your husband at Chinese. We worked with him for over forty minutes trying to find out exactly what he wanted."

You feel your face heat up, and you try your language skills again. "Oh, I'm not very good. Sano is actually just a good friend, we aren't married."

"Business partners?" Ming Hua asks in Japanese.

You nod. "Something like that."

"What are you building here anyway, Miss Kaoru?" they ask.

"We're starting up a dojo, so I can teach kendo to students here," you explain. "I teach Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu, or the sword that gives life."

Ming Hua is better with Japanese than his friend, and he translates what he understands to him. Cheng Lei's face brightens. He says something too fast to catch, and Ming Hua relays it to you. "My friend's son want kendo instructor, but there's only martial arts here," he explains. "Are you willing to teach Cheng Lei's son the sword?"

You're speechless. "Of course," you say.

Cheng Lei is very happy and shakes your hand. "I'll help you fix your dojo if you let my son take the first month of lessons for free," he says in Chinese. It's fast, but you understand it.

You grin. "Absolutely! God, thank you, thank you so much!"

Sano comes back to find you and your new friends laughing and talking in short, poorly pronounced sentences. You're practically jumping up and down. "What's going on here?" he asks.

"Sani!" you cry, "Cheng Lei and Ming Hua are going to help us fix the dojo, and we have your first student!"

He laughs. "You're too excited, Missy. Focus on finishing tearing up that floor. The sooner you do that the sooner we can lay out the new one."

You swear you hear him murmur under his breath, "I'm happy for you", but the excited babbling of your new friends drowns out the sound. There's mud everywhere in the old silk factory.

You get to work.

A/N:

Previous: Search

Next: Dojo


	19. Dojo

A/N: Sorry about the hiatus! We're back on track with the nineteenth installment.

Dojo

You dream of solid, dark wooden floors, oak pillars carved with images of Gods and Emperors, freshly woven _tatami_, and a cool breeze floating in through the open paper door, but the reality is much better than you ever imagined.

Once the floor is all dug up and Sano has dragged all the strange machinery into the yard, you and your new friends scrub the walls and dust the foundation. It's back-breaking work, but you're running on so much adrenaline you can't pause for a break. You work for hours, days, then weeks. Time passes more quickly than you realized it could, and when Cheng Lei and Ming Hua bring in the forty sheets of _tatami _to place on the floor in the center, you start to cry.

An arm snakes around your shoulders, and without thinking you lean into the embrace.

"Why are you crying?" Sano asks gruffly. "It's embarrassing."

"Because," you sniff, "I'm so happy."

His hand squeezes her shoulder for a moment. "I know, Missy. But your nose is running, and we haven't even fixed the doors yet."

That was next, so you took one last look at your slowly forming dojo and smiled.

"I'll be back!" you exclaim to your friends. "I need to go purchase the paper to outfit on the doors."

They nod and wish you luck as they start laying out the _tatami_.

Sano blinks. "What did you say to them?"

You laugh. "You haven't been studying, have you? I'm going into town to buy the paper. Maybe _you_," you tap a finger to his nose, "should stay here and practice your Chinese. We live here now, you know!"

He looks a little pink. "It's hard, Missy! Learning a whole new language isn't a walk in the park for me like it is for you!"

You shake your head. "I'm leaving."

"Want me to go with you?" he asks.

You refuse. "I'll be fine," you insist. "Stay here and help with the floors; we've been here almost a month, and I want to open as soon as possible. _Before_ we eat though all our expenses?"

He grumbles. "Okay, but be back before dinner. Or I'll come find you, and I _will _make a scene."

You smile softly. His hand lingers for a moment longer on your shoulder, and you begin to wonder that he doesn't want to let go. Your eyes meet, and it gives you pause. You haven't had much time for the two of you, and the place he's holding you feels hot. You're holding your breath.

He steps away.

So do you.

"I'll be back soon," you say quietly, and turn to go before your beating heart can betray you.

Your name is Himura Kaoru.

The streets are oddly full for a Wednesday afternoon, and as you peruse around and dodge others, you can't help but feel as though everyone is staring at you. You don't blame them; on the whole street you're the only one wearing a kimono. All the other ladies are wearing some kind of Qi Pao, and the giant obi bow on your back knocks into more than one person. You keep apologizing and trying to squeeze through.

The paper shop is a long ways down the road, but on the way you get the idea to stop by the post office. You've been expecting a letter from Yahiko for a few days, and it's possible it's arrived. The postal service is much slower here, you've noticed, but there are _so_ many more people, you can hardly blame them. It's worth a try, and the office is on the way.

The door slides open and sticks, so you give it a little push and then shut it behind you. There's a person sitting on a chair in the corner with a coat covering their face. They seem to be sleeping, so you turn your gaze to the counter instead. The man working stares at your kimono, and you can see the panic on his face; he probably thinks he'll need to speak in Japanese. You smile and greet him in Chinese, and he looks effectively taken aback.

"Hello," you say, "I'm looking for a letter from Japan. It should have arrived a few days ago."

He's relieved, and tells you so. "Your Chinese is very good, Madam," he says.

You blush. "I've been practicing."

"From Japan, you say?" he asks. "Let's see here…" After a few long moments of rifling through drawers, he exclaims "Ah-ha! This letter has Japanese on it – I can't read it, so you'll have to tell me if it's yours."

He holds out the envelope and you spy Yahiko's spider-like handwriting on the front, addressed to you. "That's the one!"

"I was worried when this came in," he admits. "I wasn't sure how to get it delivered, but I figured someone would come by, and here you are!" He hands it to you, and you can't resist opening it right away.

"Dear Kaoru," you read.

_Dear Kaoru,_

_ How's the Mainland? I've been doing some studying about it lately, and I've learned a lot about the history and the culture. I think that Tsubame and I can start studying the language now, and by the time we move out there to be with you and Sano we'll be pretty damn good. Better than him, at least. I hope you two are getting along; I know you fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but maybe this experience will bring you closer together. I've been saving up all the money I've earned from the Akabeko, and I've been practicing with my _bokken _every day, just like you told me to. When I get there, I'll test your students! By the way, Tae, Tsubame, and I went to Kenshin's grave the other day. It was raining, which sucked, but I was thinking he might like it. He always seemed secretly happy when it rained. You still have his Sakabato, right?_

"Excuse me, Madam?"

You snap out of the trance the letter placed on you, and look up at the postal worker. "Huh?"

He smiles. "I need you to sign that you've received the letter for my records. Just right here… Yes, thank you." He looks at your signature. "I always thought Japanese was beautiful and strange. There's characters I recognize but they don't mean to me what they mean to you. What is your name, Madam?"

"It's Kaoru," you say. "Himura Kaoru."

Something crashes to the ground behind you and you shriek in surprise. The man sleeping in the chair in the corner has gotten to his feet so fast his chair toppled over. He's got a large scar down the left side of his face, and his hair is long and unkempt. He's looking right at you. "Himura?" he asks, voice gruff.

You squeak, "Yes!"

"Where do you live?"

"Th-the old Silk Factory north of here!" you say.

He's _menacing_. "Oh?" he asks. "So _you're _the one who purchased the property."

"Um, yes!" you cry, feeling very small. "But, uh, it's actually under my friend's name."

His eyes narrow. "Sagara?"

How…? "Uh," you say.

"Hnn."

He leaves. There's a sinister feeling creeping up on you. That was strange. _Too _strange. You can do nothing but go on to the paper shop. You have a dojo to fix up, after all. The rest of the day passes peacefully, but you can't shake the feeling that every person that stares at your kimono is that man, with his piercing gaze. It's probably nothing, you think. But still.

You can't get rid of the chill.

A/N:

Previous: Silk and Mud

Next: The Stranger


	20. The Stranger

A/N: This was a fun chapter to write.

The Stranger

Summer begins soon, and the humidity is a new level of which you couldn't have anticipated. Not three months ago, you sat in your room in the early spring in Japan and came to the realization that your life had changed; that _you_ had changed.

Now you apply the finishing touches to your kendo dojo in China, sweating in the hot, moist, open room. The doors have been outfitted with the paper, the holes in the roof have been fixed, the floors are now covered with hardwood and _tatami_, and you've put up a sword rack at the far end. On it, you've placed many wooden practice swords, but they pale in comparison to the sheathed _Sakabato_ resting on the middle perch.

On either side of the rack, you've pinned the instructor and student tablets. They're all empty, save one; Cheng Lei's son's name has been carved carefully and delicately into the tablet. You recall, as you watch the floors dry from their wash, asking Cheng Lei how to pronounce it.

"His name is Shi Hwa," he says as he carves. "Don't worry, Miss Kaoru – you'll learn how to read and write with time."

You recognize the characters for Shi Hwa, now. While your progress with the spoken language has excelled in the two months you've lived on the Mainland, you've still much to learn. However, with the dojo nearly finished, and with Sano finally putting out advertisements, you can't help but feel a longing for the simple, quiet days in Japan, with Yahiko as your only student, and closing your eyes to feel the earth.

It's just past thirteen-hundred hours, and while Sano is in the town handling a newspaper ad, and your new friends are off doing contract work for this week, you are alone. It's the hottest part of the day. You never knew it could be this hot. You're sweating. Every part of your body is sore from the heavy labor of the last two months and begs you to rest, but remembering that you are so close to teaching again makes your heart call out for something different.

You dash across the newly-cleared yard to the little house on the edge of the property and dress in your _hakama_. Hair tied up, you're ready to go. All dressed, you return to the completed dojo not a moment after the floors dry, and you leave your shoes haphazardly by the door. Once you have a _bokken_ in your palms, you look around you.

"My name is Himura Kaoru," you whisper, and your voice vanishes into the calm air. "This is my dojo."

Your eyes slide shut, and you can hear.

The air echoes because it is still. There are faraway footsteps, the crunching of dirt under heavy feet, the flapping of wings from birds perched on the rooftops, and the scattering sound of dust.

Suddenly you regret not teaching this to Yahiko sooner. Listening is such an important skill, and one of the special techniques of Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu. You'll have to do your best when he comes back to teach him everything you couldn't before. You'll-

_Knock_

_ Knock_

Your eyes open. "What…"

"Anyone in?" a gruff voice calls in Mandarin.

You didn't hear anyone approaching. How…? You clear your throat. "Who is it?"

There's no answer. Cautiously, you approach the sliding doors at the front and try again.

"Whose there?"

"A guest."

Carefully, you push the door open, and a strange man with a large scar running down the left side of his face stares back at you.

"May I come in?" he asks, somewhat annoyed.

"You're," you begin, "from the post office…"

He takes off his shoes and pushes his way inside, impressed by the interior. "I'm surprised you remember, Himura," he says. "That was over a month ago. Love what you've done with the place."

"Why are you here?" you ask, gripping the sword in your hands just a little tighter.

He looks back at you and his eyes rest on the _bokken_. "Why don't you put that down?" he asks. "I'm not here to fight a woman."

Your defenses flare angrily, but your sensible side tells you to remain calm. "What for then?" you ask. "Surely you're not here to sign up for classes."

He barks a single laugh, and you jump. "Maybe I am." He sits. "I like that piece over there," he says, nodding to the sword rack. "Not bad. I'd give my left eye to see it unsheathed. I'm something of a weapon enthusiast, see. You selling?"

Offended by the very question, you take a step closer to the _Sakabato_ as your protective instincts set in. "No, it's not for sale."

He glances at her through knowing eyes. "Why not? Is it precious to you?"

You stand a little taller. "Can you please state your business, Sir? If not then I'll have to ask you to leave."

He laughs, in the middle of the dojo floor, and stretches. "I'm not going anywhere till I get what I came here for." He points. "And right now, I want that sword."

"I said it's not for sale-!"

"Then maybe I'll have to just take it?" he says quietly.

You see the gleam in his eye, feel the charged energy around you, and know you have only a second to react. You both dash for the sword rack, but he reaches it first, and as his fingers close around the hilt, you swing your _bokken_ down instinctively, hitting his hand. You seize it as he cries out in pain, and in your hurry to draw back from him, the rack tilts and falls over, dragging the sheath with it.

You're left with the sword in your hands as the rack clatters to the floor. It's always heavy, but something about seeing the silver of the sword exposed makes your heart race, and the weight drags it down. You grip tighter to hold it up.

His eyes locked on yours, he slowly raises his hands in surrender. "All right," he says, "Let's just calm down. Relax; you're a kendo instructor. If I thought I could beat you I'd have attacked already." He holds up his red hand. "That hurt. But I won't ask you to apologize."

Your heart beats erratically in your chest. You can't move, so you keep the stranger at swordpoint.

"That's even more interesting than I thought it would be," he says. "A reverse-edge blade? It's like you don't want it to be able to kill anyone. I can see it really must be special to you. Who'd you get it from? A friend? An ex-boyfriend?"

You swallow. "You need to leave."

"I think there's a misunderstanding," he explains, taking a step toward you.

"You need to leave!" you cry. "Get out! _Go_!"

The sliding door at the other end flies off the wall and hits the floor of the dojo hard. You and the stranger flip toward the entrance and stare in shock. Sano bursts inside, shoes still on, yelling, "Kaoru! Are you okay?!"

"Sano!" you cry.

"Ka-!" He stops. His eyes are locked onto the man.

The stranger doesn't move.

Sano gapes. "Shi Hwa!"

You blink. "Shi…Hwa?"

The stranger grins, and says in confident, fluent Japanese, "Sagara Sanousuke, you son of a bitch!"

A/N:

Previous: Dojo

Next: Zhang Shi Hwa


	21. Zhang Shi Hwa

A/N: I love interesting OC's in fanfics ;) Here is the twenty-first installment.

Zhang Shi Hwa

Sano's mouth twitches. "You calling my momma a bitch?" he asks.

"Suits a bastard like you," the strange man spits back. "Why? Think it's unfair?"

"Take your words back, you damn anarchist!"

Shi Hwa grins evilly. "Come get them from me, then."

They advance as quick as lightning, and you can't help it; you scream. However, instead of punching each other in the face like you were expecting, they throw their arms around each other. You pause, and for a moment you think they might be wrestling, but another glance tells you you're wrong.

They're _hugging_.

"Sanousuke, you sick fuck," Shi Hwa says joyfully, tousling your friend's rooster-like hair with his thick, rough fingers. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were going to be back on the Mainland?!"

Sano laughs in the same bark-like manner the stranger had earlier, and you're more confused than ever. "Shit happens, you crazy fucker! I didn't have time to send you a note, and how the hell was I supposed to know you were done traveling?"

The coarse nature of their speech shocks and offends you; you almost feel like you should cover your ears. Their words are absolutely _filthy_.

"Shut the hell up, you damned piece of shit!" Shi Hwa says happily, and they hug again.

You wince at the language.

Sano seems to remember that you're in the room, and he says, "Oh!" then grins hugely. "Kaoru, this is Zhang Shi Hwa! We met on the road from Vietnam to Thailand, you know, with the caravan? I told you about it!" His eyes snake down to Kenshin's _Sakabato_ in your hands, pointed at them. "Looks like you two got well-acquainted."

"Oh," you let the sword fall by your side. "You never mentioned… I'm sorry, I didn't know, uh…Are you Cheng Lei's son?"

Shi Hwa's brow raises. "The one and only."

Sano gasps. "No fucking way! You bastard, why the hell didn't you ever tell me who your dad was?! Your old man's been helping us build the dojo for _two months_!"

"Well why the fuck didn't you listen when he told you my name?" he shoots back. Then he adds in Chinese, "Unless you still can't speak Mandarin? God, you're as lazy as ever."

Sano's face twists into confusion. "Huh? Come on, speak Japanese!"

He shakes his head. "I thought so. But you speak pretty well, lady. I'm impressed."

It takes you a long moment to realize he was talking to you. You feel like a fool for speaking in your heavily accented Chinese to a man who spoke your first language fluently, and your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "I, uh, I'm very confused, still," you admit. "When Cheng Lei mentioned his son wanted to learn Kendo, I imagined someone… more… young…"

"You saying you only teach brats?" he asks. "I don't look it, but I'm probably younger than you, Himura." He shrugs. "My old man had me when he was fourteen, if that makes more sense with the age gap."

Sano growls. "Okay, I hereby declare we all speak in Japanese from this point onward. You two could be plotting against me, for all I know."

Shi Hwa grins again. "What say you, Himura?" he asks. "Shall we kill him?"

Shocked, you cry in Japanese, "Kill him?!"

There's a pause, and the two men burst out laughing. "Fuck, it's good to see you, Sanousuke," the new man says.

"You too, you hairy bastard," Sano chuckles.

You quietly clean up the sword rack.

… … …

"So when did you stop traveling?" Sano asks once you've all moved into the house. You have them sit in the kitchen with you while you make dinner, and as you listen closely, the rice burns. "Did you stay in Jeoseon much longer?"

Shi Hwa says, "Hell, Sanousuke, I stayed there for four months after you disappeared. Got real good at the language, too. Met me some real nice people. Everyone kept asking me where you'd run off to, and I had to assume you'd either been caught by that bastard, Lee Sang Min, or you'd gone back to Japan." You feel his gaze pressing into your back, and you know he's looking at you.

You flip the fish and stir the rice.

"I hoped you'd made it back to Japan in one piece, of course, especially since you never stopped bitching about missing your lady. This her?"

You choke on your spit; Sano does the same.

"Shi Hwa, shut the hell up!" he hisses.

"What, I'm wrong?" He waits for you to turn around to wink. "I'm guessing it didn't work out to well for you, since Kamiya Kaoru became Himura Kaoru."

There's a heavy silence in the air, and Shi Hwa is much too smart not to catch on.

"Shit," he mumbles, "There's more to this story than I know, huh?"

Sano whispers, "Later."

You wipe a stray tear from your eye and turn back around to flip the fish again.

"Anyway," Shi Hwa says, then clears his throat, "Since you just up and left I wasn't sure what to do. If I knew you'd be gone for two years I would've gone to visit you, maybe, otherwise I would have stayed in Jeoseon longer than I did. I had a real good life there."

"So why'd you leave?" he asks.

"Got into some trouble," he shrugs. "Tried impersonating a royal entertainer to get the King to change his mind on our business idea. He noticed. I was chased out; hell, they wanted to sentence me to death by poisoning, so I jumped that ship. After Jeoseon I traveled back to Thailand and stayed for a week, then I spend a year and a half in Mongolia."

"What the hell did you do in Mongolia?" he asks.

"Honestly?" He grins. "I was dating this really pretty girl. Her dad found out I was half and chased me away. She still sends me letter, but I just got word that she was set up in an arranged marriage with some random rich wool trader." He leans back. "I'm too free a spirit to be sad about it, though. Gotta date a lot of women to find the right one, right?"

"And after that?"

"After that I took the weapons I'd accumulated and came back to the Mainland. I've been here for six months, and already my heart wants me to travel again. What do you think?" he asks, "If I put my hair up in a topknot could I pass for a Jeoseon nobleman? I speak it well enough to fool people."

"You're crazy," Sano says, shaking his head. "How the hell do you speak so many languages? I can only speak one."

He laughs, and the sound dies down.

You start serving the rice and fish, saying, "I'm sorry for assuming you were a bad person," you apologize. "But you do have to admit you were pretty crazy when you came by."

"Sure, I admit it," he says. "I knew that sword was a _Sakabato_, honestly. Ever since I realized when we met at the post office that you had to be the girl Sanousuke always talked about, I thought it had to be that sword. He's told me about Battousai the Man-Slayer. I just wanted to see how you'd react."

"You're a strange one," you say. "Why did you come by so late to introduce yourself, anyway?"

Suddenly, his face becomes serious; the grin slips away, and the twinkle in his eyes goes out. "I'm afraid this was the soonest I could stop by, actually."

Sano blinks. "What do you mean?"

"I hate being the bearer of bad news," Shi Hwa says darkly. "But I'm afraid you two won't be safe here. This old factory was under watch by someone very strong, very powerful, and they're not happy someone else snatched up the land under their nose."

"Under their nose?" you cry. "We bought this land fair and square!"

"Unfortunately," he begins, "that's not how they see it."

"Who are they?" Sano murmurs.

Shi Hwa leans back, his face shrouding in the shadows. "The Chinese Mafia."

A/N:

Previous: The Stranger

Next: Gold Diggers


End file.
